Persian miniatures and mermaids: Hiba Schahbaz's garden of delights at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami

"Hiba Schahbaz: The Garden Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami Until 16 March 2026 The first major retrospective devoted to the Karachi-born, Brooklyn-based artist Hiba Schahbaz, The Garden, features works spanning 15 years of the artist's practice-including loans from private collections, work from her studio and newly commissioned pieces. It was curated by Jasmine Wahi and is anchored by the idea of the jannat, the Paradise Garden, a motif rooted in Islamic tradition and Sufi poetry."

"Much of the exhibition's success stems from Schahbaz's trust in Wahi's curatorial voice. The show is rooted in the elements-earth, water, fire and air-which gently guide visitors through an immersive and sensual journey. "It's not something I could have done on my own," Schahbaz tells The Art Newspaper. "I've watched Jasmine evolve as a curator and seen what she's capable of. I can be pretty hands-on with curatorial decisions, but for this project, I really wanted to step back and let her lead.""

"Trained in the Indo-Persian miniature tradition at the National College of Arts in Lahore, and later at the Pratt Institute in New York, Schahbaz works primarily with water-based pigments and tea on handmade paper. Her materials evoke a deep sense of ritual and care. Her soft, self-referential paintings centre the female figure, frequently her own. "I am the subject I know best," she says."

The Garden presents works spanning 15 years by Hiba Schahbaz, including loans from private collections, studio works and newly commissioned pieces. Jasmine Wahi curated the presentation around the jannat, the Paradise Garden motif rooted in Islamic tradition and Sufi poetry. The installation follows elemental themes—earth, water, fire and air—that guide an immersive, sensual progression. Geometry and symbolism of Persian and Mughal char-bagh design shape a contemplative landscape oscillating between personal and cultural memory. Trained in Indo-Persian miniature techniques and later at Pratt, Schahbaz paints primarily with water-based pigments and tea on handmade paper, centring soft, self-referential female figures. Work expanded to larger scales after a period of physical recovery.

Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events